BEWARE! TELEPHONE AND EMAIL SCAMS IN PROGRESS!

BEWARE! TELEPHONE AND EMAIL SCAMS IN PROGRESS!

THE NEW-HARMONY GAZETTE.
by: Dan Barton, Publisher Saturday, December 22, 2019

When I came into my office on Tuesday morning, the 18th, and checked my email, I noticed an odd request from a long time “friend.” Immediately my antenna went up. My “friend’s” email stated the following:

“How are you? I need a favor from you. I need to purchase a Nordstrom Gift Card for my nephew, It’s (SIC) his birthday but I (SIC) am unable to do this now because I’m currently traveling. Can you get the card from any store around you? I’ll reimburse you as soon as I (SIC) am back. Kindly let me know if you can handle this. (Friend’s Name)

It just seemed strange and out of place. My friend has never, ever, made a request of this nature from me, and knowing my friend’s personality, likely never would. Also, the email writer used a small case “i” instead of the upper case “I” when referring to themselves. My friend is very meticulous about written communication.

Anyway, I responded: “I will get to work on it right away. No reimbursement was necessary. Such a small thing. Just have to know where to find one. Got a hint for me?”

The Scammer’s response: “Thank you very much. The amount I need on the Gift card is $300. my (SIC) nephew told me to scratch the back of the card to reveal the pin and the serial number and then take a snapshot (SIC) of the front and back of the gift card and forward it to him online, you’ll do that and send it to me here online so that I (SIC) can forward it to him as he said. Once again thanks.”

Again, punctuation and spelling errors galore. Also, the Scammer’s command, “you’ll do that,” did not sound like my friend, who knows that I don’t take lightly to commands. The Scammer continued: “You can get these cards (SIC) from any store around you like Walmart or CVS. Thanks” Once more, spelling and punctuation errors, also my friend knows that the closest Walmart is about a 60-mile round trip and CVS is about 40 50 miles. They certainly are not “around” me, anywhere!

I called a mutual friend and ran the scenario by them. “Does it sound like our friend? Or do